Sunday, November 16, 2014

Window on Eurasia: Putin has Left Russians with No Options but Submission or Revolution, Eidman Says

Paul
Goble

Staunton, November 16 – By creating
a dictatorship, Vladimir Putin has left Russians without any choice except
submission, possibly with the appearance of a struggle against him, or a
revolution, a reality that many who oppose the Kremlin leader have failed to
understand, according to Igor Eidman.

In a commentary on Kasparov.ru
yesterday, Eidman says that “the pathological fear of a revolution” among Putin’s
opponents not only works to the Kremlin leader’s advantage but shows how far
they are from taking the kind of actions which will change things at any time
before Putin’s death (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=546730D4273D4).

And while the Moscow writer stresses
that he isn’t calling anyone to arms, he says that there is no other way to
change power in Russia except for a revolution, something that is “dangerous,
difficult and possibly even tragic. But another variant simply doesn’t exist:
Either preparation for a revolution or an imitation of struggle. No third way
is possible.”

Eidman begins by citing the
observations of Russian writer Anatoly Rybakov that “it is impossible to deny
the right of the people to a revolution. The overthrowing of tyranny,
absolutism, and dictatorship justify revolution, for another, democratic
alternative does not exist.”

“Wherever the people does not have
the chance to free itself from despotism by democratic means, it will achieve
by revolutionary ones. If in the 1930s, the peoples of Germany, Italy and the
USSR had dispensed with Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin by carrying our a
revolution, we would have approved them,” Rybakov said.

And he concluded: “Revolution is an
evil if it is launched against democracy; it is a good thing, if it overthrows
a tyranny.”

Unfortunately, Eidman argues, many
liberal Russians have adopted “the mantra” that there can be no more
revolutions but only reforms. But “out of this pathological fear of revolution,”
they have missed the only chance to overthrow the dictator who now rules their
country.

These opposition leaders have failed
to see, he says, that “a dictatorship is different from a democracy in that it
is impossible to chance those in power by democratically legitimate ways.The participation of the opposition in
electoral farces is useful only for the Putin regime” because it gives that
regime “the appearance of legitimacy.”

“Authoritarian regimes always seek
to force those protesting against them to play by its rules,” Eidman continues.
If the opposition submits to this, the dictatorship has nothing to fear.” And
he suggests that this is exactly what has happened up to now in the case of
Putin’s dictatorship in Russia.

But it is not enough to try to
provoke a revolutionary wave by actions that generate the kind of violent
response by the regime that wins support for its opponents. In addition, he
argues, those who oppose the regime must recognize that “a revolution cannot
take place without a large ideal goal.”

“In Ukraine European integration and
membership in the EU became such a goal. But the Russian opposition still does
not have its own ideal goal which could attract the population” of the country.
“To get massive support, a protest movement must create an image of a better
Russia in the future after its liberation from the Putin dictatorship.” That is
the task today.